Continuing its campaign to win over leaders of opposition parties,the BSP on Friday admitted a leader of the trading community and Rajya Sabha MP of the SP,Banwari Lal Kanchal. The decision was announced by Chief Minister Mayawati in a press conference. Mayawati said it was not a case of defection and the SP MP had resigned from the membership of the Rajya Sabha. Kanchal has joined the BSP after affirming his faith in the ideology and policies of the party,he had expressed the desire to join the party and in deference to the wishes of the traders leader I accepted the request, said the BSP chief. She added that Kanchal had not joined the BSP for any personal gains but for the welfare of the entire trading community. When reminded that he was in the forefront of the agitation on January 15 against Mayawatis birthday bash and that he was also a critic of the BSP Governments decision to introduce VAT in place of trade tax,Kanchal said,What I was doing while in the SP was politics and now I am in the BSP,this too is for politics.
